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Surveys of Significant Plant Resources

in Southeast and South-central

Montana on the Billings and Miles

City Field Offices of the Bureau of

Land Management

Prepared for:

Bureau of Land Management

Montana State Office and the

Billings and Miles City Field Offices

By:
Scott Mincemoyer

Montana Natural Heritage Program

Natural Resource Information System

Montana State Library

MONTANA

^^^ Natural Heritage
^^^ Program

Surveys of Significant Plant Resources

in Southeast and South-central

Montana on the Billings and Miles

City Field Offices of the Bureau of

Land Management

Prepared for:

Bureau of Land Management

Montana State Office and the

Billings and Miles City Field Offices

Agreement Number:
ESA010009-#26

By:

Scott Mincemoyer

M () M 1" A \ A

Natural Heritage
Program

^^ M (> \ T A N fl ^fmrnk MONTANA

0|tat6 « i tS). Natural Resource

jub]

Obrary ^^^ information System

P.O. Box 201800 • 1515 East Sixth Avenue • Helena, MT 59620-1800 • 406-444-5354

This document should be cited as follows:

Mincemoyer, S. 2006. Surveys of Significant Plant Resources in Southeast and South-central Montana
on the Billings and Miles City Field Offices of the Bureau of Land Management. Report to the USD!
Bureau of Land Management, Billings and Miles City Field Offices. Montana Natural Heritage Program,
Helena, MT. 22 pp. + appendices.

Executive Summary

Lands managed by the Billings and Miles City
Field Offices of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) cover large areas of south-
central and eastern Montana. However, for
purposes of this report, the project area is limited
to BLM lands in Big Horn, Carbon, Carter,
Custer, Fallon, Powder River, Prairie and
Rosebud Counties, and excludes the northeast
portion of the Miles City Field Office as well as
Billings Field Office lands outside of Big Horn
and Carbon Counties.

The distribution of BLM lands in this area varies
from large tracts of land covering areas of tens
of thousands of acres to very small isolated
tracts less than a square mile in size. Surface
acres managed by the Billings Field Office were
listed at 454.859 acres in 2003 and 245,742
acres in the two target counties (Big Horn and
Carbon). BLM lands in Carbon County alone
account for over 200,000 acres. In the Miles
City Field Office, 2.7 million acres are under
BLM management, with almost 1.9 million
acres of that total in the seven targeted counties,
bringing the total potential survey acreage in the
project area to approximately 2.1 million acres.

The purpose of this report is to document the
results of surveys in 2005 and 2006 for plant
Species of Concern (SOC) on lands
administered by the two Field Offices and to
provide information pertinent to management of
these species. However, a great deal of
information pertaining to the ecology,
distribution, abundance and management of
several of these taxa is still lacking and the
collection of much of that information is beyond
the scope of this provincial project. Information
on biology, ecology, rank factors and
management as it pertains to individual Species
of Concern can be found on the Montana

Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) website
( www.mtnhp.org ).

Plant Species of Concern in Montana currently
include all SI and S2 taxa along with G3
(globally vulnerable) taxa. Many of these
species are also ranked as "Sensitive" on BLM
lands in the state (Bureau of Land Management
2005).

Field surveys conducted as part of this study in
2005-2006 documented new locations of
Physaiia brassicoides, Haplopappus
carthamoides var. subsquarrosits and
Sphaeromeria capitata. Known occurrences of
Cleome lutea and Eriogonum visheh were re-
surveyed and their mapped locations expanded.
Four occurrences of Aslragahis grayi and two
occurrences of Mentzelia pumila in Carbon
County were re-surveyed and their locations and
extent better documented. The locations of
several other SOC occurrences were revisited,
though the surveys failed to relocate the target
species.

Additionally, one species that has been reported
for the state, Ciisium piilcherrimum was
conclusively documented on BLM lands from an
area of Powder River County.

Ill

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr. David Keil at California
Polytechnic State University for verifying the
identification of Cirsium pulcherrimum
specimens collected during fieldwork conducted
as part of this project. Thanks to Cathy Seibert
at the Montana State University Herbarium for
providing access to the collections there. At the
MTNHP, Linda Vance conducted field surveys
and provided valuable data and input, Coburn
Currier checked the spatial representations of

most of the SOC occurrences in the two BLM
Field Offices and re-mapped many of these to
improve their accuracy and precision, and Kathy
Lloyd entered and checked the tabular data for
all SOC occurrences on the two Field Offices.
As always, thanks to Kathy Lloyd and Coburn
Currier for editing and final printing, though any
omissions or errors are of my own doing.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Project Area 2

Methods 5

Results 10

Billings Field Office Survey Results 10

Miles City Field Office Survey Results 11

Herbaria Searches 12

Additional Data Entry and Mapping 13

Discussion and Recommendations 16

Future Survey and Monitoring Recommendations 16

BLM Status Recommendations 17

Heritage Status Recommendations and Changes 18

Additional Recommendations and Discussion 19

Priority Areas 19

References 21

Appendix A. Global/State Rank Definitions

Appendix B. Maps of General Survey Areas and Routes Listed by County

Appendix C. Species Account for Cirsium piilcheirimum

List OF Figures

Figure 1. Billings Field Office with general locations of MTNHP Species of Concern 3

Figure 2. Miles City Field Office with general locations of MTNHP Species of Concern 4

List of Tables

Table 1. Vascular Plant Species of Concern known from BLM lands in the project area 5

Table 2. Additional Vascular Plant Species of Concern known from ownerships other than BLM 8

Table 3. Areas of BLM land surveyed during this project with major findings 13

Introduction

Lands administered by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) cover vast and diverse areas
of Montana. As such, BLM lands provide
significant habitat for many species of
conservation concern within the state. BLM lands
in the Billings and Miles City Field Offices are no
different and accordingly harbor significant
populations of several vascular plant Species of
Concern.

Plant Species of Concern (SOC) in Montana
currently include all SI and S2 taxa along with G3
(globally vulnerable) taxa. Many of these species
are also ranked as "Sensitive" on BLM lands in the
state (Bureau of Land Management 2005). See
Appendix A for a full description of global and
state rank definitions.

Numerous surveys and reports are available that
document vascular plants on BLM-administered
lands within the Billings and Miles City Field
Offices. These surveys and reports include the
following:

Botanical surveys in Carter County (Vanderhorst et
al. 1998), surveys for globally significant plants in
parts of Big Horn and Rosebud Counties (Barton
and Crispin 2003), surveys in Hanging Women
Basin in Big Horn County (Carlson and Cooper
2003), surveys for Astragalus barrii and Physaria
didynwcatpa var. lanata in parts of Big Horn and
Rosebud Counties (Taylor and Caners 2002), plant
Species of Concern in Powder River County
(Heidel et al. 2002), botanical survey of the
Tongue River area (Heidel 1 997), surveys for
Querciis macrocaipa (Heidel 1993) and vascular
plant surveys in the Pryor Mountain Desert (Lesica
and Achuff 1992a).

Several other pertinent reports on plant Species of
Concern in the area are also available, including
sensitive plant surveys on the Ashland District of
the Custer National Forest (Heidel and Marriott
1996), sensitive plant surveys in the Sioux District,
Custer National Forest (Heidel and Dueholm
1995), rare plants of the Bighorn Canyon National

Recreation Area (Heidel and Fertig 2000),
conservation status of Eiiogonum x lagopus
[Eriogonum brevicaule var. canum\ (Lesica and
Achuff 1992b), conservation status of
Haplopappus carthamoides var. subsquanosus
(Lesica 1995a), conservation status of Shoshonea
pulvinata (Shelly 1988), conservation status of
LesquereUa lesicii (Lesica 1995b), status review of
Astragalus barrii (Schassberger 1988) and
monitoring Shoshonea pulvinata in the Pryor and
Beartooth Mountains (Heidel 2001).

The purpose of this report is to document the
results of surveys in 2005 and 2006 for Species of
Concern on lands administered by the two Field
Offices and to provide information pertinent to
management of these species. However, a great
deal of information pertaining to the ecology,
distribution, abundance and management of several
of these taxa is still lacking and the collection of
much of that information is beyond the scope of
this provincial project. Information on biology,
ecology, rank factors and management as it
pertains to individual Species of Concern can be
found on the MTNHP website ( www.mtnhp.org ).

The field surveys conducted during this project
help to provide a clearer picture of the abundance
and distribution of these species, not only on BLM
Field Office lands, but across the project area.
Positive survey results, as well as negative survey
results (not finding a species in a particular
location), provide valuable information that will be
useful for conservation planning and management
decisions across BLM lands and other ownerships
in the state. This is the third project completed in
recent years that documents plant SOC on BLM
land. Previously, BLM lands managed by the
Dillon and Butte Field Offices were surveyed in
2002-2003 and 2003-2005 respectively (Lesica
2003, Mincemoyer 2005).

Nomenclature and taxonomy in this report
generally follows Vascular Plants of Montana
(Dorn 1984) and Vascular Plants of Wyoming —
Third Edition (Dorn 2001).

Project Area

Lands managed by the Billings and Miles City
Field Offices of the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) cover large areas of south-central and
eastern Montana. However, for purposes of this
report, the project area is limited to BLM lands in
Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Fallon, Powder
River, Prairie and Rosebud Counties, and excludes
the northeast portion of the Miles City Field Office
as well as Billings Field Office lands outside of
Big Horn and Carbon Counties. Figures 1 and 2
provide locations of the project area as well as the
general location of BLM lands within these areas.

The distribution of BLM lands in this area varies
from large tracts of lands covering areas of tens of
thousands of acres to very small isolated tracts less
than a square mile in size. Surface acres managed
by the Billings Field Office were listed at 454,859
acres in 2003 and 245,742 acres in the two target
counties (Big Horn and Carbon). BLM lands in
Carbon County alone account for over 200,000
acres. In the Miles City Field Office, 2.7 million
acres are under BLM management, with almost 1.9
million acres of that total in the seven targeted
counties, bringing the total potential survey
acreage in the project area to approximately 2.1
million acres.

BLM lands in the project area generally occur in
valley bottoms or on lower mountain slopes.
Many areas are dominated by highly dissected or
badlands topography with sparse vegetation cover.
A continental, semi-arid climate prevails over the
project area. Livestock grazing is one of the
primary land uses across the region.

Dominant vegetation in the area is sagebrush
steppe, wheatgrass-needlegrass grasslands, salt
desert scrub, desert scrub and woodlands of
juniper, ponderosa pine and limber pine.
Sagebrush species that may be locally dominant
are Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis
(Wyoming big sagebrush), Artemisia nova (black
sagebrush) and Artemisia pedatifida (birdsfoot
sage), the latter species being confined to the
Bighorn Basin of Carbon County. Other woody
species that may be locally dominant or co-
dominant include Chrysothamnus nauseosus
(rubber rabbitbrush), and Atriplex confertifolia
(shadscale) and A. gardneri (Gardner's saltbush) in
saline or alkaline sites. Non-native plant species
are common in many parts of the project area with
the introduced annual brome grasses, Bromus
tectorum (cheatgrass) and B. japonicus (Japanese
brome) the most widespread and abundant.

Figure I. Billings Field Office with general locations of MTNHP Species of Concern. Only the portion of the Field Office in Carbon County is
displayed within the larger map. BLM lands in Big Horn County are shown with the Miles City Field Office in Figure 2.

Legend

Billings Field Office Ownership

BLM

MTDNRC

^H MTFWP

^H state Trust Lsndi

National Paric Service

USFWS

USPS

Privalc Land

Figure 2. Miles City Field Office wilJi general locations of MTNHP Species of Concern. Only areas within the
seven southeastern Montana counties are highlighted within the larger map.

Legend

MTFWP

MT State Trjst Lands

Naliortal P-ark Service

Private Lard

US Dept of Agriculture

USPS

V\^ter

Methods

Before the start of Che 2005 field season potential
sample areas were identified by BLM staff and the
MTNHP. Target vascular plant species identified
for survey include all BLM Sensitive plants from
the area (Table I) and several additional SOC in
the area that had not been located on BLM lands
prior to 2005 (Table 2). Field surveys were
conducted by Heritage Program Botany and
Ecology staff during 2005-2006.

Surveys were concentrated in areas listed in Table
3. In addition to the fieldwork component, visits to
the University of Montana Herbarium (MONTU)
and Montana State University Herbarium (MONT)
were conducted to document existing occurrences
for the Field Office and to collect specimen
locations for many of the target species. Existing
element occurrences in the MTNHP database were
also checked for accuracy of locational data and
spatial representation. This step was important due
in part to a previous upgrade in database software
that allows for digitally mapping polygonal
features in contrast to the old software which only
allowed for tracking occurrences as individual

points. All survey data collected during this
project will be entered into MTNHP databases.

Conditions in 2005 appeared optimal for the
growth and flowering of many species in the
project area. Precipitation was abundant in the
spring and throughout the growing season. In
contrast, 2006 was a dry year and thus not optimal
for conducting some of the surveys. Drought
conditions during the second year undoubtedly
made it more difficult to detect plant populations
because growth and flowering were reduced for
many species. Field surveys were conducted by
Linda Vance in 2005 and by the author in 2005 and
2006.

Locations of all SOC encountered during surveys
were documented on a MTNHP Plant Species of
Concern Survey Form - 2005 Revision
( www.mtnhp.org ). Information on abundance,
specific location and area of occupancy, associated
species and non-native species was recorded.
Locations were georeferenced with a GPS receiver.

Table I . Vascular Plant Species of Concern known from BLM lands within the projecl area prior to 2006.

Taxa

BLM
Status

Global
Rank

State
Rank

County Distribution

Aiabis deinlssa
(daggett rock cress)

SensLiive

Carbon

Ascleplas sTenophylla
(narrowleaf milkweed)

Sensitive

G4G5

Carter, Rosebud

Astragalus areHoides
(sweelwater milkvetch)

Sensitive

Big Horn, Carbon

Astragalus bairii
(Barr's milkvelch)

Sensitive

Big Horn, Carter, Powder River,
Rosebud

Astragalus geyerl
(Geyer's milkvetch)

Sensitive

Carbon, Custer, Dawson, Garfield

Astragalus gray!
(Gray's milkvelch)

Sensitive

G4?

SIS2

Carbon

Astragalus oreganus
(Wind River milkvetch)

Sensitive

G4?

Carbon

Astragalus raceinosus
(raceme milkvetch)

Carter. Fallon

Camissonia andina
(obscure evening-primrose)

Sensitive

Carbon, Missoula, Ravaili

Camissonia parvula
(small camissonia)

Sensitive

Carbon

Carex cranei
(Crawe's sedge)

Sensitive

Cascade. Pondera, Powell, Prairie,
Teton

Taxa

BLM
Status

Global
Rank

State
Rank

County Distribution

Chenopodium subglabium
(smooth goosefoot)

G3G4

Carter, Cascade, Custer, Powder River,
Sheridan

Cleome lutea
(yellow bee plant)

Sensitive

Big Horn, Carbon

Cryptantha scoparia
(miner's candle)

Sensitive

G4?

Carbon

Cy per Its schweinitzli
(Schweinitz' flatsedge)

Sensitive

Carter, Cascade, Custer, Powder River,
Sheridan

Da lea enneandia
(nine-anther dalea)

Big Horn, Custer, Fallon, Richland

Dalea villosa
(silky prairie clover)

Carter, Richland, Sheridan

Erigeron alio cot us
(Big Horn fleabane)

Big Horn, Carbon

Eriogonum bievicaule var.
camim (rabbit buckwheat)

Big Horn, Carbon

Eriogonum salsuginosum
(Smooth Buckwheat)

Sensitive

G4?

Carbon

Eriogonum visheri
(Visher's buckwheat)

Sensitive

Carter

Grayia spinosa
(spiny hopsage)

Sensitive

Beaverhead, Big Horn, Carbon, Park

Haplopappus carthamoides
van subsquarrosus
(Beartooth goldenweed)

Sensitive

G4G5T2T3

S1S2

Carbon

Hutchinsia procumhens
(hutchinsia)

Sensitive

Beaverhead, Carbon, Flathead, Powell

Leptodactylon caespitosum
(leptodactylon)

Sensitive

Carbon

Lesquerella lesicii
(Lesica's bladderpod)

Sensitive

Carbon

Lomatium nunallii
(Nuttall desert-parsley)

Sensitive

Big Horn, Rosebud

Malacothrix torreyi
(desert dandelion)

Sensitive

Carbon

Mentzelia montana
(white-bract stickleaf)

Sensitive

Beaverhead, Custer

Mentzelia niida
(bractless mentzelia)

Sensitive

Custer, Dawson, Powder River,
Roosevelt, Rosebud, Valley

Mentzelia pumila
(dwarf mentzelia)

Sensitive

Carbon

Nama densum
(nama)

Sensitive

Carbon

Nuttallanthiis texanus
(blue toadflax)

G4G5

Carter, Dawson

Pensfemon angusfifolius
(narrowleaf penstemon)

Sensitive

S1S2

Carter, Dawson, Fallon, Missoula

Penstemon caryi
(Gary's beardtongue)

Carbon

Phlox andicola
(plains phlox)

Sensitive

Carter, Dawson, Powder River,
Rosebud, Sheridan

Physaria brassicoides
(double bladderpod)

Sensitive

Carter, Custer, Petroleum, Powder
River

Taxa

BLM
Status

Global
Rank

State
Rank

County Distribution

Physaiia didymocarpa var.
lanata (woolly twinpod)

Sensitive

G5T2

Big Horn, Rosebud

Plagiobothiys leptocladus
(slender popcorn flower)

Sensitive

Beaverhead, Custer, Glacier, Phillips

Poa cur (a
(short-leaved bluegrass)

Sensitive

Carbon

Psoralea hypogaea
(little Indian breadroot)

S2S3

Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus,
Golden Valley, Petroleum, Powder
River, Rosebud, Teton

Que re us macrocarpa
(bur oak)

Sensitive

Carter

Rorippa calycina
(persistent sepal yellowcress)

Sensitive

Big Horn, Cascade, Custer, McCone,
Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone

Shoshonea pulvinata
(shoshonea)

Sensitive

G2G3

Carbon

Sphaeromeria capitata
(rock-tansey)

Beaverhead, Carbon

Townsendia spathulata
(sword townsendia)

Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon,
Madison, Silver Bow

Table 2. Additional vascular plant Species
BLM within t!ie project area prior to 2006.
highlighted.

of Concern, excluding alpine taxa, known from ownerships other than
Those thought most likely to be documented from BLM lands are

Taxa

BLM
Status

Global
Rank

State
Rank

Habitat

Adoxa moschateiUna
(musk-root)

Sensitive

Vernally moist, rock slopes

Amorpha canescens

(lead plant)

Sensitive

Dry prairies

Asclepias incarnata

(swamp milkweed)

Wet meadows, thickets

Asclepias ovalifolia

(oval-leaf milkweed)

05?

Open, pine woodlands, prairies

Aster p farm icoides

(prairie aster)

Open, dry grasslands

Carex gravida
(pregnant sedge)

S1S2

Wooded draws

Carex stenopt'da
(small-winged sedge)

S1S2

Grasslands and open forests in the montane
and subalpine zones, and moist soil along
streams in the valleys

Ceanothus herbaceus
(New Jersey tea)

Pine woodlands

Centaurium exaltatum

(western centaury)

Moist soil around ponds and streams

Dichanthelium oligosattthes
var. scribnerianum

(Scribner's panic grass)

Sensitive

05T5

Wooded draws

Eleocharis rosfellata
(beaked spikerush)

Sensitive

Wet, often alkaline soils

Epipactis gigantea
(giant helleborine)

0304

Seeps and springs (thermal)

Erigeron formosissimiis
(beautiful fleabane)

Meadows and forest openings in the montane
and subalpine zones

Eupatorium maculatum

Spotted joepye-weed)

SIS2

Moist meadows, springs, stream margins and
swamp thickets in the valleys and on the
plains

Gentianopsis simplex
(hiker's gentian)

Fens, meadows, and seeps, usually in areas of
crj'stalline parent material in the montane and
subalpine zones

Hemicarpha drummondii

(Drummond's hemicarpha)

0405

Moist, sandy soil along rivers and streams in
the valleys

Maianthemum canadense

(wild lily-of-t he-valley)

Moist, humic soil in riparian forest on the
plains

Penstemon grandiflorus

(large-flowered penstemon)

G5?

Sandy soil of valleys and plains

Potentilla plattensis

(Platte cinquefoil)

Sensitive

Grasslands and sagebrush steppe in the valley
and montane zones

Prunus pumila

(sand cherry)

Sandy or rocky soils in plains grasslands

Ranunculus jovis
(Jove's buttercup)

Sagebrush grasslands to open forest slopes in
the montane and subalpine zones

Senecio eremophilus

(desert groundsel)

SIS2

Moist streambanks and riparian forests in the
valley and montane zones

Sporobolus asper

(longleaf dropseed)

Open forests and grasslands on the plains

Taxa

BLM
Status

Global
Rank

State
Rank

Habitat

Stipa lettermanii

(Letterman's tieedlegrass)

Limestone talus and dry fescue grassland in
the valley and foothill zones

SulUvantia hapemanii
(Wyoming sullivantia)

Sensitive

Calcareous rock walls and boulders at springs,
waterfalls and streambanks

Viburnum lentago
(nannyberry)

Openings in riparian forests on the plains

Results

Field surveys conducted as part of this study in
2005-2006 documented new locations of Physaria
brassicoides, Haplopappus carthamoides var.
subsquarrosus and Sphaeromeria capitata.
Known occurrences of Cleome lutea and
Eiiogoiium visheri were re-surveyed and their
mapped locations expanded. Four occurrences of
Astragalus giayi and two occurrences of MentzeUa
piimiki in Carbon County were re-surveyed and
their locations and extent better documented. The
locations of several other SOC occurrences were
revisited, though the surveys failed to relocate the
target species. Maps showing general survey areas
and routes are depicted in Appendix B.

Additionally, one species that had previously been
reported for the state, Cirsium pidcherrimum
(Wyoming thistle) was conclusively documented
on BLM lands from an area of Powder River
County. In the same area, a collection of another
plant may yield another rare plant species, though
the collection awaits "final" identification from an
expert in that group. See Table 3 for a summary of
survey results.

At the end of 2006, over 120 separate locations of
two dozen SOC were known from Billings Field
Office. Several species are known almost
exclusively in Montana from these lands, including
Astragalus oreganus, Camissonia parvula, Cleome
lutea, Cryptantha scoparia, Malacothrix lorreyi,
Mentzelia piimila, Nania dertsum and Poa curta.
Numbers for the Miles City Field Office are
similar, with 123 separate locations of 21 SOC.
Approximately half of these locations are for one
species. Astragalus barrii. Other SOC that rely
heavily on BLM land in this area are Asclepias
stenophylla. Astragalus racemosus, Cyperus
schweinitzii, Dalea enneandra, Eriogonum visheri,
Lomatium niittallii, Mentzelia nuda, Nuttallanthus
texanus, Penstemon angustifolius, Physaria
didyinocarpa var. lanata and Quercus macrocarpa.

Billings Field Office Survey Results

Astragalus grayi EO #3 southeast of Bridger along
Highway 310 was resurveyed and found to be
entirely, or almost entirely, on private land.

Previous surveys were too vague and imprecise to
determine the exact boundaries. EO #7, further
south of the previous occun^ence, was also
determined to be almost entirely on state and
private lands with perhaps a few plants occurring
on BLM lands. This relatively large population
was previously mapped as two separate, disjunct
occun^ences (EO #'s 7 & 8).

L. Vance 2005

Astragalus gniyi hnbiiat soiiih o\' Bridger

A survey of BLM land for Camissonia andina EO
#7 (Jack Creek) southeast of Bridger failed to
relocate the species. This population of the
diminutive, annual species was first observed in
1991 and a follow-up survey in 1993 was also
unable to relocate the species.

Surveys for Cleome lutea in the Cottonwood
Creek, Hunters Creek and Weatherman Draw area
greatly expanded the known extent and number of
individuals documented in the drainages. Surveys
previous to 2005 had documented two separate
locations for the species. 2005 surveys observed
plants extending across several miles in these
drainages. The area is now mapped as E0#4.
Limited observations in 2006 in some of the same
areas of the Cottonwood Creek drainage failed to
observe any plants (either last year's dead stalks or
current season's growth) of C lutea. This is
probably due to unfavorable growing conditions
for the species in 2006 in contrast to the favorable
conditions of 2005. An additional location of C
lutea was located further south along Cottonwood
Creek on private land.

L. Vance 2005

Cleome hilea in flower

One new, small occurrence of Haplopappus
carthamoides var. siibsquarrosus (EO #9) was
located on BLM lands in the vicinity of other
known occurrences on the east slope of the
Beartooth Mountains. Another previously known
occurrence (E0# 8) on state trust lands, bordering
BLM land, was visited but no H. carthamoides var.
siibsquarrosus was observed on the BLM land.
Two other small occurrences (EO #'s 1 & 7) on
BLM lands in the area were not visited during this
trip as the land was falsely marked as private land
with "No Trespassing signs." During 2006, two
additional occurrences (EO #'s 5 & 6) of the plant
on National Forest land south of Red Lodge were
visited.

S. M incemoyer 2006

In total, three occun^ences of//, carthamoides var.
subsqiiarrosiis were visited in 2006 that had been
previously surveyed in 1995; all showed marked
reductions in population numbers. Recent drought
conditions in the area are presumed to be the cause
of these observed declines.

S,Minceinoyer2006

Haplopiipjiiis carthamoides var. siibsquarrosus

Haf'Uipapi.'iis LctrTliaiiioidcs \\\v. suhsi/iiarrcsus habitat
on the east slope of the Beartooth Mountains

Two Mentzelia pumila occurrences were revisited.
E0# 5 (Hollenbeck Draw) south of Belfry is
entirely on BLM land and its size was determined
to be relatively unchanged from a 1991 survey.
EO #1 (South Fork Bridger Creek) is on mixed
ownership of private and BLM lands. The
population was first observed in 1986 with over
100 individuals. Less than 10 individuals were
observed in 2005.

Eriogonum brevicaule var. canum was also
observed in the Pryor Mountain Desert/Bighorn
Basin, though specific information pertaining to
the occurrence was not recorded as the species will
no longer be considered a SOC. See comments on
this taxon in the Discussion and Recommendation
section.

Miles City Field Office Survey Results

Cirsium pulcherrimum has been previously
reported for Montana in Dawson and Treasure
Counties (Great Plains Flora Association 1986)
though the existence and location of specimen
vouchers to document these reports are uncertain.
A collection at MONTU (University of Montana
Herbarium) from the Pryor Mountains is labeled as

this species, though its identification is uncertain.
In 2006, collections of a thistle were made in and
adjacent to the Buffalo Creek Wilderness Study
Area (WSA) near Moorhead and it was tentatively
identified as C. pulchenimum using the Flora of
the Great Plains (GPFA 1986) and the Flora of
North America (Keil 2006). However, no material
in Montana herbaria was available that appeared
morphologically similar, including the MONTU
specimen that is labeled as C. pulcherrinnim. Two
of the specimens were sent to Dr. David Keil at
California Polytechnic State University, author of
the FNA treatment on Cirsium, and the
identifications were verified as C. pulcherrimum.

Within the Buffalo Creek WSA, scattered
individuals were located in two general areas
(Appendix C). The species appears to be rare in
the area and was not observed in other areas of
apparently suitable habitat. Previous to this
project, the species was ranked SU in Montana; as
a result of these new findings the species" rank will
change to SI and it will be added to the Montana
SOC list.

The identification of one plant collection from a
ridgetop on the border of the Buffalo Creek WSA
remains uncertain. The specimen appears to be a
Boisduvalia sp. (Onagraceae), though it does not
resemble the single species known from eastern
Montana, Boisduvalia glabella (smooth spike-
primrose). It more closely resembles B. striata
(nan^ow-leaved boisduvalia) which is not known
from Montana, or B. densiflora (dense spike-
primrose) which is known from Montana from one
historical collection in the western part of the state.
The genus is now more typically treated in an
expanded concept of Epilobium. The collection
will be sent for identification to an expert in the
Onagraceae.

The sole Montana population of Eriogonum visheri
growing on BLM lands east of Powderville in the
Hell Creek Formation appears to be healthy and in
fact may be expanding in size and extent. The
entire area previously documented as occupied by
the plant was not surveyed in 2005, though other
areas not previously noted as occupied now
contain E. visheii.

Two new locations of Physaria brassicoides on
BLM lands east of Powderville in the Hell Creek
Formation were also discovered. These locations
have currently been combined into EO #4. A
couple hundred plants were observed in these new
areas. One additional location off. brassicoides
was discovered in 2005 southeast of Miles City,
though the occurrence is on private land {or
possibly state land) immediately adjacent to a
block of BLM land.

S. Mincemoyer 2005

Physaria brassicoides habilat east of Powdeiville

BLM lands in the Tidwell Draw area were targeted

for survey, but poor road conditions due to recent
rains prevented travel to the site during a visit to
the area.

Herbaria Searches

Specimen label data for almost all target species
listed in Table 1 and for some of those listed in
Table 2 were gathered from the University of
Montana (MONTU) and the Montana State
University (MONT) herbaria in the fall of 2006.
Collection of this information resulted in several
"new" occurrences, though only one of the new
locations was on BLM lands in the project area.
The one new location on BLM lands was from a
recent collection of Aslragai us geyeri in the Pryor
Mountain Desert in the vicinity of other known
locations.

Specimen label data for only one species,

Sullivantia hapemanii, was retrieved from the
Rocky Mountain Herbarium (RM) in Wyoming.
This resulted in the mapping of one new location
in the Bighorn Canyon NRA.

Additional Data Entry and Mapping

Data for three globally rare species, for which
MTNHP had not been recently tracking occurrence
information, have been re-entered into MTNHP
databases. BLM lands on the Billings Field Office
contain significant occurrences of all three species.
The three species are Erigeron allocotus,
Penstemon caryi and Townsendia spathulata. At
this time, all occurrences of the latter two species
have been entered. However, occurrences for
Erigeron allocotus reported for the Bighorn
Canyon NRA (Heidel and Fertig 2000) have not
been entered and it is unclear if the detailed
documentation that would allow mapping of these
occurrences exists. Also, 19 occurrence records
for Psoralea hypogaea, a state rare taxon, have
been re-entered into MTNHP databases. This
species was previously dropped from tracking by
MTNHP, though supporting documentation
describing the rationale for this change is
incomplete and vague.

In addition to the mapping and entry of new
species data, all occurrences on the two BLM Field
Offices were reviewed for spatial and tabular data
accuracy. Review of the spatial representations for
these records resulted in a refinement of the
mapped boundaries in many cases and in several
additional instances added subpopulations that
were documented by surveyors but were not
represented in MTNHP spatial data. During this
process several hundred mapped features were
checked for accuracy and completeness as well as
the corresponding tabular data.

As part of the review of all mapped SOC
occurrences on the two Field Offices, Astragalus
barrii occurrences were reviewed and a change in
the protocol for mapping/tracking this species was
instituted to help simplify data management and
tracking. Though the species is considered
globally rare, it is sometimes locally common, with
numerous mapped subpopulations or clusters
scattered over many square miles and across
multiple ownerships. This is often the case when
habitat is locally abundant for a particular species
but uncommon across the larger landscape. To
simplify the tracking of occurrence data and the
dissemination of the information, all observed
areas of this species provided by surveyors are now
mapped as separate locations (i.e. separate Element
Occurrences). This methodology is commonly
used for tracking SOC animal species in Montana
to prevent the creation of very large, unwieldy
tracking units. The alternative of tracking data at
the population or metapopulation level, which may
consist of dozens or even hundreds of individually
mapped subpopulations or clusters, is cumbersome
and problematic. As a result of this change in
methodology, the number of mapped occurrences
reported by MTNHP is currently 167 as compared
to less than 50 occurrences previously. Other plant
SOC are also likely to undergo a shift in tracking
methodology. However, further details and
discussion of the changes in tracking methodology
are not presented here as it is not the purpose of
this report.

Table 3. Areas of BLM land surveyed during this project with major findings. Township, Range, Sections are
provided to delineate general survey areas. The list is not intended to be a comprehensive inventory of all BLM
areas visited nor is it intended to imply that surveys in any of the geographic areas listed below provide
comprehensive survey coverage of the area.

County

Survey Sites

Survey Date

BLM Sections
Surveyed

Results

Big Horn

Feeback Draw

July 23, 2005

T8S, R43E, sec 9,
10

No new occurrences

Carbon

Bear Canyon & se
Pry or Mountains

June 6 & 7, 2006

T9S, R26E, sec 3, 4,
9, 10

Malacothrix torreyi,

and Nama densum not

relocated. 1 new

location of

Sphaeromeria capitata

Inferno Canyon (e
Pryor Mountains)

June 5 & 6, 2006

T8S, R25E, sec 15
& 16

No new occurrences

County

Survey Sites

Survey Date

BLM Sections
Surveyed

Results

HWY310soutliof
Bridger

June 20-28, 2005
and June 5, 2006

Scattered sections

adjacent to and near

highway

Revisited 4 Astragalus
grayi occurrences

Cottonwood Creek-
Hunter's Creek-
Weattierman Draw

June 20-28, 2005

T8S, R24E, sec 29,

31,32

T9S,R24E, sec4, 5,

Surveyed extensive

Cleoine hi tea

population

Cub Creek — Long
Draw

June 1-3, 2006

Portions of dozen
sections in the area

No new occurrences

HoIlenbeckDraw

June 30, 2005

T9S, R22E, sec 9

Revisited MentzeUa
piim'da occurrence

Mill Draw -Ruby

Creek Areas (East

slope Beartooth)

June 4, 2006

Scattered sec in
T9S, R20E
T9S, R21E

No new occurrences

Grove Creek (East
slope Beartooth)

August 16-18,
2006

T8S, R20E, sec 25,
26,35

1 new occurrence of

Haplopappus

carthamoides var.

subsquaiTosus

South Fork Bridger
Creek

June 30, 2005

TVS, R24E, sec 19
&20

Revisited MentzeUa
piimila occurrence

Carter

Soda Lakes

July 20, 2005

TIS, R58E, sec26

No new occurrences

Powderville Road -
Hell Creek Formation

July 21-22, 2005

TIS, R55E, sec4, 9

Eriogonum visheri
population resurveyed

2 new locations of
Phy.saria brassicoides

Keith Creek

July 21, 2005

T3S, R56E, sec 23

No new occurrences

Cottonwood Creek -
Dead Horse Point

June 26, 2006

Scattered sec in

T6S, R58 & 59E

TVS, R59E

T8S, R59E

No new occurrences

Dead Boy Creek —
Lone Tree Creek

July 20-21, 2005

T2S, R58E

No new occurrences

Custer

Strawberry Hill

July 19, 2005

T8N, R48E sec 23-
24

1 new occurrence of

Physaiia brassicoides

located on adjacent

private land

Powder River

Boxelder Creek — Bales
Creek — Bear Creek

June 28 & 29,

2005 and June 22,

2006

T9S, R45E, sec 12,

13,24

T9S,R46E, sec6, 7,

No new occurrences

Trail Creek (NW of
Moorhead)

July 24, 2005

T9S, R4VE, sec 1
T9S, R48E, sec 6

No new occurrences

Kelsey Hill

July 24, 2005

T9S, R48E, sec 17

No new occurrences

Spear Hills

June 24, 2006

T9S, R48E, sec 30-
32

Failed to relocate

Physaiia brassicoides

occurrence

County

Survey Sites

Survey Date

BLM Sections
Surveyed

Results

Jenkins Creek - Buffalo
Creek WSA

June 23, 2006

T8S, R48E, sec 28
sel/4, 33, 34

Cirsiuin

pulcl^errimum, a new

Species of Concern for

Montana documented;

new species of

Boisduvalia

potentially

documented (ID

requires verification)

Bootjack Draw -
Buffalo Creek WSA

July 25, 2005 and
June 24, 2006

T8S, R48E, sec9-
11, 14

Cirsium
pulcherrimum, a new
Species of Concern for
Montana documented

Prong Creek

July 25, 2005

TVS, R48E, sec 13
TVS, R49E, sec 18

No new occurrences

Belle Creek — Pine
Cieek

June 25, 2006

TVS, R53E, sec IV,

18,20,21,28,29,

No new occurrences

Prairie

Big Sheep Mountains
Little Sheep Mountains

July 18-26,2005

Scattered sec in
T15N, R46E
T15N, R4VE
T15N, R48E
TUN, R46E
TUN, R48E
TUN, R48E
TUN, R50E
T13N, R46E
T13N, R4VE
T13N, R48E

No new occurrences

Discussion AND Recommendations

Future surveys on BLM lands within the study
area are likely to find additional occurrences of
vascular plant Species of Concern, BLM
Sensitive plant species and even additions to the
known flora of the state. Though this study
increases the knowledgebase of information in
regards to rare plants in the study area, it, as well
as any other survey effort that covers very large
geographic areas, is neither definitive nor
comprehensive.

The 2006 field season ended up to be suboptimal
for the survey of many SOC in the area as it was
a "dry" year, or at least precipitation did not fall
during time periods that would result in "good"
growth for many plant species. For instance.
Astragalus grayi plants were observed to be
mostly in non-flowering condition in 2006, and
Cleome lutea which flowered profusely in 2005
could not be relocated the following season in
the same vicinity. In contrast, early season rains
in 2005 resulted in favorable growing conditions
during that year. However, the precipitation at
times impeded travel as many roads in the study
area are not drivable when wet due to the high
clay content of many of the soils. Additionally,
optimal survey times for individual species
varies, so a single site visit to an area is apt to
miss species that have not flowered or for which
the morphological condition of the plants are no
longer adequate for identification.

Future Survey and Monitoring
Recommend ations

Initiate monitoring of populations of BLM
Sensitive plants. The current lack of monitoring
data for most, if not all, BLM Sensitive and
Montana SOC plants in the project area severely
limits any conservation and management
recommendations that can be made for particular
species, landscapes or watersheds. Additionally,
more comprehensive survey efforts that include
federal, state and private lands may show that
certain taxa are more abundant than previously
thought and not in need of conservation
measures or protection. The specific need is for

annual or other semi-regular monitoring of a
subset of SOC populations for the purpose of
monitoring trends and changes in land
management. The general surveys conducted as
part of this project, as well as most of the others
mentioned previously, do not provide the depth
of information required to make firm
conclusions or recommendations about a
species' ecology or management.

BLM lands surrounding Soda Lakes warrant
additional surveys for plants listed as either
BLM Sensitive or Montana SOC. A single visit
to the area in 2005 did not adequately survey the
area in extent or in terms of vegetation
phenology. The isolated and patchy nature of
BLM lands surrounding the lakes, particularly
the northern lake, complicates surveying the
area.

S. MLncemoyer2005

Soda Lakes

BLM lands encompassing the Teny Badlands
still require surveys for plant SOC and BLM
Sensitive plants. The area may include suitable
habitat for species such as Astragalus barrii and
Physaria brassicoides, as well as other rare
plants.

Additional surveys for Astragalus barrii are
needed. Surveys during 2005-2006 generally
took place too late in the growing season for
identification of the species. Surveys during
mid-May to the beginning of June when the
species is in flower are required to separate it

from the closely related A. gilviflorus and A.
hyalifuis which are common in portions of the
study area, and grow in the same habitats as A.
harrii. Surveys for this species are needed on
federal, state and private ownerships to
determine its abundance and population numbers
in the state. Suitable habitat for the species
appears to be plentiful in eastern Montana and it
is possible that additional surveys on multiple
ownerships may find the species to be more
abundant than previously known and possibly
determine that the species is not in need of any
special conservation measures or designation.
Upcoming predictive modeling work will help
define and map potentially suitable habitat for
the species which should help greatly in guiding
future survey efforts.

Monitoring of the population dynamics for
Haplopappiis carthamoides var. subsqiiatrosiis
on BLM and National Forest lands is needed.
Limited data between the two survey years of
1995 and 2006 shows a drastic decline in
numbers. However, this observation is limited
to surveys on only three populations. Additional
monitoring will be needed to determine if this is
a temporary reduction, possibly related to
drought conditions in the Carbon County area,
part of normal temporal population fluctuations,
or if other factors are at play.

Additional surveys and better documentation of
existing populations of Sphaeromeria capitata
on federal ownerships are needed to properly
review the global and state ranks for this species.
Surveys are needed in Beaverhead, Big Horn
and Carbon Counties. Though the global rank is
currently a G3, better documentation of the
species' range and abundance is likely to find
that a 04 rank is more appropriate. No change
in rank is proposed at this time.

S. Mincemoyer2006

Sphaeromeria capitata growing on the lower slopes
of the Pryor Mountains

Surveys for Aster glaiicodes (gray aster) are
needed in the Pryor Mountain area to provide
increased documentation on population levels
and geographic distribution of the species to
support the state rank of the species. The
species is currently ranked S3 in Montana
though available data do not conclusively
support such a rank and it is unclear as to
whether additional data would support the
cun^ent rank. A rank of S2 for the species may
be more appropriate. Suitable habitat on
National Forest, BLM and National Park Service
lands should be surveyed. No change in rank is
proposed at this time.

BLM Status Recommendations

Recommend the removal of Dichantheliiim
oligosanthes var. scribnericiiutm from the BLM
Sensitive Plant Species List. The species has not
been conclusively documented from BLM lands
to date. Reports of the species on BLM lands
from MTNHP data are due to the large
imprecision associated with the mapping of
historical collections with imprecise locality
data. Suitable habitat for the species on BLM
lands is likely very limited in extent.

Recommend the removal of Amorpha canescens
from the BLM Sensitive Plant Species List. The
species has not been conclusively documented
from BLM lands to date. Reports of the species
on BLM lands from MTNHP data are due to the
large imprecision associated with the mapping
of historical collections with vague locality data.

Recommend the removal of Potentilla plattensis
from the BLM Sensitive Plant Species List. The
species has not been conclusively documented
from BLM lands to date. Reports of the species
on BLM lands from MTNHP data are due to the
large imprecision associated with the mapping
of historical collections with vague locality data.
Suitable habitat for the species on BLM lands is
likely very limited in extent.

Recommend the removal of Eleocharis
rostellata from the BLM Sensitive Plant Species
List. The species had been listed as occurring
on BLM lands due to an incorrectly mapped
occurrence at the Bluewater Fish Hatchery near
Bridger. This error was noticed as part of the
review of all mapped occurrences on the two
Field Offices that was previously mentioned. At
this time, there are no known occurrences of the
species on BLM lands in Montana. Suitable
habitat for the species on BLM lands is likely
very limited in extent.

Recommend the removal of Sullivantia
hapemanii from the BLM Sensitive Plant
Species List. The species is not known to occur
on BLM lands in Montana. The species is
known from seeps and springs generally along
canyon walls in the Bighorn canyon area.
Suitable habitat for the species on BLM lands is
likely very limited in extent if present at all.

Recommend the addition of Cirsium
pulcherrimum to the BLM Sensitive Plant
Species List. This species was located on BLM
lands in Montana for the first time during the
course of this project. The species was found in
or near the Buffalo Creek Wilderness Study
Area where it was observed in only a couple
locations with few, individual plants. It can be
considered rare in the state at this time and will
receive a state rank of SI.

Heritage Status Recommendations
and Clianges

A change in the state rank of Cirsium
pulcherrimum from SU to SI. See comments
above.

A change in the state rank in June 2006 for
Artemisia pedatifida from S3 to S4, thus
removing it from any further tracking by
MTNHP at this time due to its abundance in the
Big Horn Basin/Pryor Mountain Desert of
Carbon County. In fact, the species is a
dominant species throughout large portions of
this area. This status change is supported in part
by the previous work of Lesica and Achuff
(1992a).

A change in the state rank in June 2006 for
Platyschkuhria inlegrifolia (basindaisy) from S3
to S3S4, thus removing it from any further
tracking by MTNHP at this time due to its
abundance in the Big Horn Basin/Pryor
Mountain Desert of Carbon County. This
change is supported by the previous work of
Lesica and Achuff (1992a) who reported 58
"populations" and that the species is "abundant
throughout much of the study area."

A change in the state rank in June 2006 for
Xylorhiza glabriuscula (smooth woodyaster)
from S3 to S4, thus removing it from any further
tracking by MTNHP at this time due to its
abundance in the Big Horn Basin/Pryor
Mountain Desert of Carbon County. This
change is supported by the previous work of
Lesica and Achuff (1992a) who reported 26
large "populations" and that the species is
"common in the study area."

A change in the state rank for Haplopappus
multicaulis (branched goldenweed) from S3 to
S3S4 thus removing it from any further tracking
by MTNHP at this time due to its abundance in
Carter County and apparent lack of threats.
Though the species has a limited distribution in
Montana, it is common in portions of the county,
including along some roadsides on BLM lands.

A change in the state rank for Eriogonum
brevicaule var. caniim from S3 to S3S4 and
removal from further tracking by the MTNHP.
It is recommended that the global rank be
changed accordingly from 03 to 0304 or 04.
The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database has
global rank responsibility for this taxon and the
recommendation has been passed along to that

program. The abundance of the taxon in
Montana has been previously documented by
Lesica and Achuff ( 1 992a, b) and by Heidel and
Fertig (2000). Both of these reports recognize
the number of large populations of the species
and the apparent lack of threats to the species'
viability. Heidel and Fertig (2000) also state
that "No special management is required to
ensure the survival of the species."

Additional Recommendations and
Discussion

One taxon currently listed as BLM Sensitive and
as a Montana SOC, Physaria didymocarpa van
lanata, may be of questionable morphological
recognition. A recent review of all P.
didymocarpa collections at MONTU by Peter
Lesica noted that the character (spreading leaf
trichomes) by which variety lanata is
distinguished appears to be continuous and not
readily distinct (Lesica, pers. comm. 2006).
Additional study and information will be needed
before any change in status is made or
recommended.

Information on the biology, ecology, rank
factors and management implications as they
pertain to individual Species of Concern can be
found on the MTNHP's web-based Rare Plant
Field Guide ( www.mtnhp.org) .

Priority Areas

Several areas of BLM lands in the project area
are of note due to the diversity and/or abundance
of one or more BLM Sensitive, Montana SOC or
other plants of limited distribution.

Pryor Mountain Desert: The Pryor

Mountain Desert - Bighorn Basin area contains
one of the most unique floras in the state and
hosts several state and globally rare vascular
plant taxa (Lesica and Achuff 1992a).
Additionally, the area provides critical habitat
for several animal species of significance in
Montana including the Black-throated Gray
Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, white-tailed
prairie dog and the pallid bat (Hendricks 2004,
Hendricks et al. 2004, Wilson 1 996, MTNHP

2006). As such, appropriate management of the
area to maintain viable populations, intact
habitats and ecosystem processes is critical to
the survival of many species in the state.
This area encompasses lands generally south of
National Forest lands in the Pryors to the
Montana-Wyoming border, and west to
Highway 3 1 and east to the Bighorn Canyon
NRA. The habitats of this area contain a
significant proportion of the overall range and/or
populations of numerous plant species that are
listed as BLM Sensitive, Montana SOC or are
otherwise rare or of limited distribution.
Included in this category are plants such as
Artemisia pedatifida. Astragalus geyeri,
Astragalus grayi. Astragalus oreganus,
Camissonia andina, Camissonia patvula,
Erigeron allocotiis, Eriogonum brevicaule var.
canuin, Grayia spinosa, Leptodactylon
caespitosum, LesquereUa lesicii, Malacothrix
torreyi, Mentzelia pumila, Nama densum.
Penstemon laricifolius, Platyschkuhria
inlegrifolia, Sphaeromeria capitata, Stanleya
tomentosa (woolly princesplume) and
Townsendia spathulata.

S. Mincemoyer 2006

>.' -iL '- -

Inferno Canyon on the west slope of the Pryor
Mountains

The importance of this area to numerous plant
species of significance is hard to overemphasize
and it is perhaps second in importance state-
wide only to areas of Beaverhead County.

Meeteetse Spires-Grove Creek: The

Meeteetse Spires and surrounding BLM lands on
the east flank of the Beartooth Plateau are

known to contain two vascular plant taxa of
significance, Shoshonea pulvinala and
Haplopappiis caithamoides var. subsqitanosits.
Both taxa are globally rare and are endemic to
south-central Montana and adjacent Wyoming.
The Shoshonea occurrence is one of only five
known from Montana. BLM, state and private
lands are interspersed in the area resulting in
potentially conflicting resource management
objectives. The core of this area encompasses
only about six square miles immediately
adjacent to National Forest land. A second area
immediately to the south along the Wyoming
border and adjacent to National Forest land
contains significant populations of//.
caiihaiiioides var. subsquanosiis in an area of
mixed BLM and private ownerships.

S. Mincemoyer 2006

Biddle-Belle Creek: BLM lands in the
Biddle-Belle Creek area cover several thousand
acres though they are scattered in distribution.
This area contains some of the most important
habitat for the globally rare Astragalus barrii.
BLM and private lands in the area contain
perhaps the densest concentration of populations
of this species range-wide. Any detrimental
change in land management or alterations of the
habitat that would result in adverse effects to
this metapopulation is likely to result in
significant impacts to the species" long-term
viability in the region.

S. M ince

yer2005

Belle Creek Drainage

Grove Creek drainage and the Meeteetse Spires along
the east flank of the Beartooth Plateau

References

Barton, D. and S. Crispin. 2003. Globally
significant plants in southeastern Big Horn and
southwestern Rosebud counties, Montana.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
26 pp. + app.

Bureau of Land Management. 2005.
Montana/Dakotas ELM Sensitive Plant Species
List. Montana State Office, Billings, MT. 9 pp.

Carlson, J. C. and S. V. Cooper. 2003. Plant and
animal resources and ecological condition of the
Hanging Woman Basin in Big Horn County,
Montana and Sheridan County, Wyoming.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
25 pp. + app.

Dorn, R. D. 2001. Vascular plants of Wyoming -
Third Edition. Mountain West Publishing,
Cheyenne, Wyoming. 412 pp.

Dorn, R. D. 1984. Vascular plants of Montana.
Mountain West Publishing, Cheyenne,
Wyoming. 276 pp.

Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the
Great Plains. University of Kansas Press.
Lawrence, Kansas.

Heidel, B. 2001. Monitoring Shoshonea pulvinala
in the Pryor and Beartooth Mountains, Carbon
County, Montana. 1999 Trend Report to the
Bureau of Land Management, MT. Montana
Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 1 1 pp. +
app.

Heidel, B. 1 997. Preliminary Botanical Survey of
the Tongue River Area. Unpublished Report to
Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
1 1 pp + app.

Heidel,B.L. and K. H. Dueholm. 1995. Sensitive
plant survey in the Sioux District, Custer
National Forest: 1994; Carter County, Montana
and Harding County, South Dakota.
Unpublished report to the Custer National
Forest. Montana Natural Heritage Program,
Helena. 95 pp. + app.

Heidel, B. and W.Fertig. 2000. Rare Plants of
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.
Report to the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation and Bighorn Canyon National
Recreation Area. Montana Natural Heritage
Program, Helena and Wyoming Natural
Diversity Database, Laramie. 63 pp. + app.

Heidel, B., C.Jean and S.Crispin. 2002. Plant
Species of Concern and Plant Associations of
Powder River County, Montana. Report to the
Bureau of Land Management. Montana Natural
Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 23 pp. + app.

Heidel, B.L. and H.Marriott. 1996. Sensitive
plant species survey of the Ashland District,
Custer National Forest, Powder River and
Rosebud Counties, Montana. Unpublished
report to the Custer National Forest. Montana
Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 94 pp. +
app.

Hendricks, P. 2004. First nesting record of black-
throated gray warbler (Dendroica nigrescens) for
Montana. Western North American Naturalist.
Vol 64(4). October 2004. pp. 548-550.

Hendricks, P., C. Currier and J. Carlson. 2004.
Bats of the BLM Billings Field Office in south-
central Montana, with emphasis on the Pryor
Mountains. Report to the Bureau of Land
Management. Montana Natural Heritage
Program, Helena, MT. 19 pp. + app.

Heidel, B. 1 993. Survey for Quercus macrocarpa
in the Powder River Resource Area, Miles City
District, Bureau of Land Management, Montana.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
12 pp. + app.

Keil,D. 2006. Cirsium. In: Flora of North
America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+.
Flora of North America North of Mexico. 1 2+
vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 19. pp. 95-
164.

Lesica. P. 2003. Conserving globally rare plants
on lands administered by the Dillon Office of the
Bureau of Land Management. Report to the
USD! Bureau of Land Management, Dillon Field
Office. Montana Natural Heritage Program,
Helena, MT. 22 pp. + app.

Lesica, P. 1995a. Conservation status of
Haplopappiis caithamoides var. subsquanosus
in Montana. Unpublished report to the US
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management. Montana Natural Heritage
Program, Helena, MT. 22 pp. + app.

Lesica, P. 1995b. Conservation status of
Lesqueiella lesicii in Montana. Unpublished
report to the US Forest Service and the Bureau
of Land Management. Montana Natural
Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 16 pp. + app.

Lesica,P. andP. L. Achuff. 1992a. Distribution
of vascular plant species of special concern and
limited distribution in the Pryor Mountain
Desert, Carbon County, Montana. Unpublished
report to the Bureau of Land Management.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
38 pp. + app.

Lesica, P. and P. L. Achuff. 1992b. Conservation
status of Eriogoniim x lagopus in southern
Carbon County, Montana. Unpublished report to
the Bureau of Land Management. Montana
Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 13 pp. +
app.

Mincemoyer, S. 2005. Surveys of significant
plant resources and related vegetation types for
the Butte Office of the Bureau of Land
Management. Report to the USDI Bureau of
Land Management, Butte Field Office. Montana
Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 1 1 pp. +
app.

Montana Natural Heritage Program. 2006. Biotics
Database - December 2006. Helena, MT.

Schassberger, L. A. 1988. Status review of
Astragalus barrii: USDA Forest Service -
Region 1, Custer National Forest, Montana.
Unpublished report the USDA Forest Service.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
21 pp. + app.

Shelly, J. S. 1988. Report on the Conservation
status of Shoshonea pulvinata, a Candidate
threatened species. Montana Natural Heritage
Program, Helena, MT. 35 pp. + appendices.

Taylor, A. and R. Caners. 2002. Baseline survey
for Astragalus barrii Barneby (Barr's milkvetch)
and Physaria didymocarpa var. lanata A. Nels.
(woolly twinpod) in eastern Big Horn and
southwestern Rosebud counties, Montana.
Report to the Bureau of Land Management.
Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
8 pp. + app.

Vanderhorst, J., S. V. Cooper and B. L. Heidel.
1998. Botanical and vegetation surveys of
Carter County, Montana. Unpublished report to
the Bureau of Land Management. Montana
Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 116 pp.
+ app.

Wright, P. L. 1996. Status of rare birds in
Montana, with comments on known hybrids.
Northwestern Naturalist. Vol. 77(3). Winter
1996. pp. 57-85.

Appendix A. Global/State Rank Definitions

HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS

The international network of Natural Heritage Programs employs a standardized ranking system
to denote global (range-wide) and state status. Species are assigned numeric ranks ranging from 1
to 5, reflecting the relative degree to which they are "at-risk". Rank definitions are given below.
A number of factors are considered in assigning ranks — the number, size and distribution of
known "occurrences" or populations, population trends (if known), habitat sensitivity, and threat.
Factors in a species' life history that make it especially vulnerable are also considered (e.g.,
dependence on a specific pollinator).

GLOBAL RANK DEFINITIONS (NatureServe 2003)

Gl Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity and/or other factors making it

highly vulnerable to extinction
G2 Imperiled because of rarity and/or other factors making it vulnerable to extinction

G3 Vulnerable because of rarity or restricted range and/or other factors, even though

it may be abundant at some of its locations
G4 Apparently secure, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at

the periphery
G5 Demonstrably secure, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially

at the periphery
T 1 -5 Infraspeciflc Taxon (trinomial) — The status of infraspecific taxa (subspecies or

varieties) are indicated by a 'T-rank" following the species' global rank

STATE RANK DEFINITIONS

51 At high risk because of extremely limited and potentially declining numbers,
extent and/or habitat, making it highly vulnerable to extirpation in the state

52 At risk because of very limited and potentially declining numbers, extent and/or
habitat, making it vulnerable to extirpation in the state

53 Potentially at risk because of limited and potentially declining numbers, extent
and/or habitat, even though it may be abundant in some areas

54 Uncommon but not rare (although it may be rare in parts of its range), and
usually widespread. Apparently not vulnerable in most of its range, but possibly
cause for long-term concern

55 Common, widespread, and abundant (although it may be rare in parts of its
range). Not vulnerable in most of its range

COMBINATION RANKS

G#G# or S#S# Range Rank — A numeric range rank (e.g., G2G3) used to indicate uncertainty
about the exact status of a taxon

QUALIFIERS

NR Not ranked

Q Questionable taxonomy that may reduce conservation priority —

Distinctiveness of this entity as a taxon at the current level is questionable;
resolution of this uncertainty may result in change from a species to a subspecies
or hybrid, or inclusion of this taxon in another taxon, with the resulting taxon
having a lower-priority (numerically higher) conservation status rank

Appendix A - 1

X Presumed Extinct — Species believed to be extinct throughout its range. Not

located despite intensive searches of historical sites and other appropriate habitat,

and virtually no likelihood that it will be rediscovered
H Possibly Extinct — Species known from only historical occurrences, but may

never-theless still be extant; further searching needed
U Unrankable — Species currently unrankable due to lack of information or due to

substantially conflicting information about status or trends
HYB Hybrid — Entity not ranked because it represents an interspecific hybrid and not

a species
? Inexact Numeric Rank — Denotes inexact numeric rank

C Captive or Cultivated Only — Species at present is extant only in captivity or

cultivation, or as a reintroduced population not yet established
A Accidental — Species is accidental or casual in Montana, in other words,

infrequent and outside usual range. Includes species (usually birds or butterflies)

recorded once or only a few times at a location. A few of these species may have

bred on the one or two occasions they were recorded
Z Zero Occurrences — Species is present but lacking practical conservation

concern in Montana because there are no definable occurrences, although the

taxon is native and appears regularly in Montana
P Potential — Potential that species occurs in Montana but no extant or historic

occurrences are accepted
R Reported — Species reported in Montana but without a basis for either accepting

or rejecting the report, or the report not yet reviewed locally. Some of these are

very recent discoveries for which the program has not yet received first-hand

information; others are old, obscure reports
SYN Synonym — Species reported as occurring in Montana, but the Montana Natural

Heritage Program does not recognize the taxon; therefore the species is not

assigned a rank
* A rank has been assigned and is under review. Contact the Montana Natural

Heritage Program for assigned rank
B Breeding — Rank refers to the breeding population of the species in Montana

N Nonbreeding — Rank refers to the non-breeding population of the species in

Montana

Appendix A - 2

Appendix B. Maps of General Survey Areas and
Routes Listed by County

Maps of General Survey Areas and Routes Listed by County

Survey routes are provided to show general areas that were surveyed and are not intended to display
detailed survey routes, nor are all BLM areas that were visited during this project shown in the maps
below.

List of Maps

Big Horn County:

Map 1. FeebackDraw B-2

Carbon County:

Map 2. Southeast Pryor Mountains B - 2

Map 3. HoUenbeck-Long-Williams Draws-Cub Creek B - 3

Map 4. Grove Creek-Meeteetse Spires B - 3

Map 5. Bridger Area B - 4

Map 6. HWY310-Jack Creek south of Bridger B -4

Carter County:

Map 7. Soda Lakes B - 5

Map 8. Deadhorse Point-Cottonwood Creek B - 5

Map 9. Keith Creek B-6

Map 10. Hell Creek Formation east of Powderville B - 6

Custer County:

Map 1 1. Strawberry Hill area east of Miles City B - 7

Powder River County:

Map 12. Belle Creek-Pine Creek B- 7

Map 13. Moorhead-Buffalo Creek-Spear Hills B - 8

Map 14. Prong Creek B-8

Map 15. Boxelder Creek-Bales Creek-Bear Creek B-9

Prairie County:

Map 16. Big Sheep Mountains B- 9

Map 17. Little Sheep Mountains B - W

Map 18. Homestead and Innes Reservoirs B - JO

Appendix B - 1

Big Horn County

Map 1. Feeback Draw.

Carbon County

Map 2. Southeast Pryor Mountains.

Appendix B - 2

Map 3. Hoi I enbeck-Long -Williams Draws-Cub Creek.

Map 4. Grove Creek-Meeteetse Spires.

Appendix B - 3

Map 5. Bridger Area.

Map 6. HWY 310-Jack Creek south of Bridger.

Appendix B - 4

Carter County

Map 7. Soda Lakes.

Map 8. Deadhorse Point-Cottonwood Creek.

Appendix B - 5

Map 9. Keith Creek.

'' lOIB..

^-|^%K>-?

■ <-^

^H-^^-^^I^W^^KH

Map 10. Hell Creek Formation east of Powdervllle.

Appendix B - 6

Custer County

Map 1 1 . Strawberry Hill area east of Miles City.

V, """ "

Powder River County

Map 12. Belle Creek-Pine Creek

Trr-

■ , I
I

Appendix B - 7

Map 13. Moorhead-Buffalo Creek-Spear Hills.

Map 14. Prong Creek.

Appendix B - 8

Map 15. Boxelder Creek-Bales Creek-Bear Creek.

Prairie County

Map 16. Big Sheep Mountains (Surveyed BLM lands outlined in red).

Appendix B - 9

Map 17. Little Sheep Mountains (Surveyed BLM lands outlined in red).

Map 18. Homestead and Innes Reservoirs (Surveyed BLM lands outlined in red).

•"Lands shaded in pink are Bankhead-Jones Lands administered by the BLM

Appendix B - 10

Appendix C. Species Account for Cirsium

pulcherrimum

Cirisiiin piilchenimiiin in ihe Buffalo
Creek WSA

Cirsium pulchenimum (Asteraceae)
Wyoming Thistle

BLM Status: None
Heritage Ranking: G5/S1

RANK JUSTIFICATION: In Montana, known conclusively

from one area of Powder River County where a small number
of scattered individuals where observed in 2006. Also,
reported for Dawson and Garfield Counties by Flora of the
Great Plains (GPFA 1986).

IDENTIFICATION: Taprooted perennial with 1-few erect
stems that are arachnoid -tomentose or sometimes glabrate.
Flowers are pink to purple, 1 8-25 mm long. The I to several
heads are borne singly or in 2-3-headed clusters at the tips of
the main stem and branches in a typically open inflorescence,
heads may also be present in distal axils. Leaf blades are
linear to oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 5-25 x 0.6-7 cm,
unlobed and merely spinulose or spiny-dentate to regularly
pinnatifid, typically with 5-8 pairs of lobes that are well
separated, and usually with broad, U-shaped sinuses. Spines
are slender and 2-7 mm long. Lower leaf surfaces are usually
densely arachnoid-tomentose, while upper surfaces are typically

green, glabrous or less commonly thinly to densely gray-tomentose; basal leaves are often present at
flowering. Cauline leaves well distributed along stem, gradually reduced upwards, lower leaves usually
winged-petiolate, while mid and upper leaves typically are sessile, leaves decurrent along stem for 1 .5-3.5
cm. Involucres are ovoid to campanulate, 1.8-2.7 x 1-2 cm, thinly arachnoid-tomentose or glabrate.
Bracts are in 6-7 overlapping series, green or with a dark subapical patch or appendage, linear to linear-
lanceolate, margins entire, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge; outer and middle bases appressed,
apical appendages spreading to stiffly ascending, linear-lanceolate to acicular, entire, spines spreading or

ascending, stout. 2-7 mm, often flattened; apices of
inner bracts erect or sometimes flexuous, naiTow,
flat. Pappus is 14-16 mm long, (adapted from
treatment in Flora of North America vol 19).

Flowering occurs in June to July.

Similar species include Cirsium canescens and C
flodmanii both of which occur in eastern Montana.
The former can usually be distinguished by having
the upper leaf surfaces being slightly tomentose and
by the leaf lobes being over 3.5 times as long as
wide. The latter species usually has stem leaves that
only clasp the stem or are short-decurrent compared
to the typically, long-decurrent leaves (middle leaves
with wings usually >15 mm long) of C.
pidcbenimum. A technical manual should be
,, ,. consulted for positive identification.

Cirsium pulchcnini mil iiLibitat

Appendix C - J

HABITAT: Sparsely -vegetated soils of washes and steep, eroded gullies in dissected or badlands
topography. Associated species include Jiiniperiis scopuloruni, Chrysothamnus nauseosiis, Artemisia
ludoviciana, Atriplex confertifolia and
Elymus trachycaulis. In other areas, this
species is listed as typically growing in
rocky or stony soils. However, in our area
the species has also been noted from fine-
textured soils.

GLOBAL RANGE: Eastern Montana,
south to Wyoming, n Colorado, ne Utah,
nw Nebraska and west to se Idaho.

ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT:

The effects, if any of the introduced
Rhinocyllus weavil on this species are
unknown. Additional information on this
species' ecology and management in
Montana are lacking at this time.

I ■-,

■->,-

b-t

Cirsium pulcherrimum locations

Appendix C - 2

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